The Effect on the Heart
by Isabella Farina
Summary: A post-ep challenge response for "Third Day Story." Leo and Margaret based, with some others thrown in for background.


**Title: **The Effect on the Heart

**Author: **Mandy

**Spoilers: **"Third Day Story," all of Season Six, and anything from the first five seasons is up for grabs.

**Pairing: **Leo/Margaret

**Category: **Romance, Angst, Drama, Post-Ep

**Archive: **If you'd like, just let me know

**Feedback**/**Reviews: **If you want

**Disclaimer: **I promise that I'm just borrowing these characters from Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, John Wells et al for a little while. I will put them back just where I found them when I'm done with them, unharmed and just as they were when I took them. I claim absolutely no ownership of any aspect of the show, nor am I making any profit from this writing.

**Author's Notes: **This was written in response to a challenge issued on a Leo/Margaret message board, and I couldn't resist.  It's a post-ep for "Third Day Story," and the objective was to write Margaret's repsonse to the happening's as Leo's assistant, Leo's friend, Leo's lover, or any combination of the three. It's also written from Margaret's point of view. So here it goes.

**The Effect on the Heart**

A heart attack. This was absolutely not happening.

I knew that something was wrong the minute I walked into the building this morning. No matter how early I get here, I am never, and I do mean _never_, here before Mr. Leo McGarry. That's why, when I walked into his office and he wasn't there, I immediately started to panic. Rational thinking broke in quickly, and I thought that maybe he was just running a little late. After all, he was coming straight from Camp David; the motorcade has a habit of falling behind schedule sometimes. Well, there's late, and then there's _late_. He had an early morning meeting; a meeting which was about to start without him. Leo isn't one to miss meetings, or even arrive late, for that matter. This time, I really do start to panic. He hasn't done anything like this since--since he stopped drinking. "Oh God, please don't let him have started drinking again," is the first and only thought in my head. So, there I was, going out of my mind with worry, when Josh and Toby approach me. They haven't seen Leo either. In fact, they thought that he had left Camp David early. Terror etched on all three of our faces, they tell me that they will cover the meeting.

A little while later, I am able to hear a slight commotion from within the Oval Office. Nothing unusual about that--until Charlie comes into my office. I stand up to talk to him, my eyes wide, my heart racing in my chest. He tells me that some agents found Leo in the woods at Camp David; that he suffered a massive heart attack and was being transported to Bethesda. He keeps talking, giving me as many details as he can, but I'm not able to hear anything after heart attack. My mind starts to race. I become slightly angered with him for not listening to me and taking better care of himself. Realizing how selfish I'm being, I quickly toss those thoughts from my head. He was entirely too stressed, he worked himself to death, and he really wasn't taking good care of himself. I don't even think I was aware that I had started crying. Just then, the President and the entire Senior Staff storm through my office, breaking me from my trance. I know where they're going; the motorcade is waiting outside to escort the President to Bethesda. I stand in my office, frozen with fear and trying to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to do.

Mrs. Bartlet calls me from the hospital to update me on Leo's condition and to let me know that she had contacted Mallory. Crying silently, I inform the First Lady that I'm on my way. She tries to talk me out of it, but soon sees that I will not be backing down. Just before she hangs up the phone, she tells me that there will be a car waiting for me outside. Grabbing my purse, my laptop, and my briefcase, I rush to get out of the White House.

When I arrive at Bethesda, the Secret Service agents whom Mrs. Bartlet had asked to come with me lead me up to the private waiting area that has been prepared for us. Mallory rushes toward me as I walk through the door, and I drop my bags to my sides so that I can embrace her. Sobbing, we try to seek some comfort from each other in the face of this tragedy. When she releases me from her grip, I turn my watery and bleary eyes to the President and First Lady. Mrs. Bartlet beckons me to her gently, and I step forward timidly. Once I'm within her reach, she pulls me tightly into the circle of her arms. I'm so riddled with grief that it doesn't even register when the President pulls me from his wife's arms and wraps me in his warm, strong, and comforting embrace. I stand there, crying on the President's shoulder for what seems like forever, when a doctor walks into the room. He begins to inform us of Leo's condition, the surgery, how his heart is reacting, and other measures that they will be taking. We all sit down as he explains everything, but I'm not really listening. I'm sitting next to the President, his arm around my waist, my head on his shoulder. It's all so surreal.

The four of us stay in the waiting area, not yet being allowed to see Leo. After a while, the entire Senior Staff joins us. Not knowing what I'm supposed to do, I move into a corner chair, pull out my laptop, and start working on things that I would have been doing in the office. The doctor comes back later, telling us that Leo is now in stable condition, and that we can now see him. We all agree that the President should be the first one to visit with him, and so he leaves the room. I continue working, although my concentration is shot. My eyes flick toward the door every five seconds, willing the President to walk back in and tell us that we can go see Leo. My anxiety must be very apparent, because Mallory, who has been sitting beside me, suddenly grabs my hand. I smile weakly at her, moving my eyes to the door, and then back to my computer.

After what feels like an eternity, the President walks back into the room. He speaks to us for a moment, and then tells us all to go see his "outgoing Chief of Staff." My breath catches in my throat as I gain a partial understanding of what just occurred in Leo's hospital room. The Senior Staff, Mallory, and I troop out of the waiting area and down to Leo's room. We go in one at a time, with Mallory going in first. She makes her exit a little while later, and, with a slight smile, tells us that her father has ordered her to get rest and food. She and I share a slight laugh, as we're usually the ones reminding Leo to do just that. I choose to go last, waiting until the rest of the staff has had their time to visit. When it's my time, I stand in the doorway for a moment, watching my boss of almost sixteen years, the strongest, most powerful man I know, breathe with the help of machines. He looks so small, so frail, so helpless. I instantly begin to cry again as I walk into the room and over to his bed. His eyes are closed, but I'm sure that he knows I'm there.

I've been watching him for what seems like hours when I hear a weak call of "Margaret."

"Shh, I'm here," I whisper back, gingerly taking his hand in both of mine. "It's okay." He tries to smile at me, and, for some reason that is still unexplainable, I tease, "If only you'd listened to me, McGarry." My breath catches at the end, and I can feel his hand softly squeeze mine.

"Don't...worry," he manages.

"Now you know that's not gonna happen. I've been worrying about you for sixteen years, and I'm not about to stop now." I look deeply into the eyes of my boss, my best friend, the man I love. I can't believe how close I came to losing him. "Don't you ever do this to me again, Leo McGarry. You know you won't be getting away from me that easily."

He manages a smile, before whispering, "I love you, Margaret."

"I know," I tell him, leaning forward in my chair to lightly kiss his forehead. "I love you, too. I'm gonna be here every single day. I plan to make sure that you follow the doctor's orders exactly as they're given to you. I'm not leaving your side for a minute. And anything you need, let me know."

"Of course...I expect...nothing less...of you. Thank you."

I kiss him again, this time bringing my head down to nuzzle against his neck. I sigh with relief. The man that I love is going to be just fine, and we are going to be able to continue our life together.


End file.
